6 things to never say at work

Don't tarnish your reputation by making whiny, haughty or untrue
statements. Remember, silence can be golden -- especially if it prevents
you from uttering one of these potentially career-damaging phrases:

1. "I can't take on any more work. I'm completely overwhelmed already."Run
your fingers through your hair and let out a big sigh during this
lament and colleagues will either nominate you for an Academy Award or
provide the number of a good therapist. Professionals work on solving
problems, not creating drama.

"Yes, the recession and corporate downsizing has meant fewer people
doing more work; however, employers want employees who can manage their
workloads and communicate when they have reached their maximum
capacity," says Lisa Quast, CEO of Seattle-based Career Woman Inc.
and author of "Your Career, Your Way!" "A much better comment is,
'Let's look at my project list and see where we can work this in. It
might mean moving something else out to a later date.'"

2. "Joe is an idiot."Yes, maybe he is -- and he
may be your boss someday. Don't say something you'll later regret. Even
if he doesn't find out, bad-mouthing a co-worker can make listeners
wonder what you say about them when they aren't around.

"Never throw your colleagues under the bus or talk about them behind
their back," says career coach Roy Cohen, author of "The Wall Street
Professional's Survival Guide." "Colleagues who trust and admire you
will be your best support system to promote your reputation as desirable
and valuable. When they don't feel that you are transparent in your
intentions, your disruptive actions will raise doubts about your ability
to be both a team player and a team motivator. Both are essential
assets for effective leadership."

3. "That's not fair!"Brad Karsh, president of Chicago-based JB Training Solutions and
co-author of the upcoming book "Manager 3.0: A Millennial's Guide to
Rewriting the Rules of Management," notes that this statement is
frequently uttered by younger workers. "It may sound harsh, but in the
working world, fair does not always mean equal. It can be difficult to
understand that at work it's not always fair up and down, but it's also
not fair across. For example, a company may hire 100 entry-level
employees on the same day. Are they all going to get promoted or receive
raises on the same day? No. They may work different hours a week, at
different locations and for different types of people. It will never be
fair in your career, so get over it."

4. "That's not how we did it at my old company."Make
such a comment and colleagues may wonder why you ever left the other
employer. As Quast notes, "No one likes an arrogant know-it-all who
thinks they're better than others or who believes their previous company
did things better." Skip the comparisons and focus instead on
articulating your ideas clearly and respectfully.

5. "I'll have it on your desk by 3 p.m." (when you know you won't)Your
boss and colleagues have deadlines, too. When you fail to deliver, it
affects others. On those rare occasions when you can't fulfill a
promise, have the decency to give a heads-up. Deadlines may be
changeable or perhaps other workers can shift focus to help out.

"(Don't) tell people -- whether they are colleagues, vendors, clients
and customers or management -- what you think they want to hear instead
of the truth," Cohen says. "For example, if you knowingly provide a
client with incorrect information about a delivery date and you fail to
honor that deadline, you risk tarnishing both your credibility and the
reputation of your company. The potential impact may be enormous as
customers abandon you for a more reliable provider."

6. "I'm bored."Nothing good ever comes from this
statement. Overworked colleague Mary will want to slug you, cubicle
neighbor Jeff will think you're a slacker, and your boss will question
why he's bothering to give you a paycheck this week.

"There's always something you could be doing," Karsh says. "Take
the initiative to tackle new projects; don't wait to be asked to do
something. Be innovative and find new projects to work on to make your
boss's life easier. Figure out what is keeping your boss up at night,
and solve that problem."